Thursday, August 11, 2011

My third grade teacher wrote “nice” on the blackboard. “Never use this word,” she said, or something to that effect. “It’s dull and vague. Always be precise.”

I wouldn’t have remembered this, except she accidentally wrote it in crayon instead of chalk. You can’t erase crayon from a blackboard, so I had a whole year to stare at and contemplate “nice.”

This “nice,” was in lower case, and looked plain. Not even a Greek E on the end, an affectation I have for some reason developed, don’t know where I got it. I also cross my 7’s. And somewhere along the way, I started saying eye-ther rather than ee-ther, and no one could change my mind.

I grew quite fond of “nice.” As one who doesn’t beg to differ but lives to differ, I’ve been its champion ever since. A home-grown tomato isn’t awesome; trust me. It’s ok, it’s a better than average; a tomato you grow, nurture, and pick from the backyard garden is, well, it's nice.

And the photos, books, and experiences I appreciate on a daily basis – nice.

No, something “nice” will not keep you up all night, nor lift a corner of the tent for a peek at heaven. The awesome and outrageous experiences happen now and again, and usually at some private place.

Nice means something has given you a small reward, a bit of pleasure. A smile.

55 comments:

Third grade seems awfully early to be pushing that lesson! But most of us probably get it at some point, so it's ironic that a commonly used teacher's note in the margin is "nice point" or other versions of Nice. I had an Uncle Roy Nice. And his wife was my Aunt Hattie (Nice). Should I stop now?

I love your memory. By the way, the photo of your tomahtoes isn't nice, it's lovely. And they taste divine.Okay, label me as a radical feminist, but I love deleting the word nice. Too many women use it to describe themselves as they turn themselves into doormats. Ooops, must be the bourbon speaking. ;)

This brings to mind the term "Minnesota Nice", referring to an alleged gentility of the population. I heard it again on the news last night regarding two presidential candidates from Minnesota who were going at each others throats in a debate.

In the past, it may have signaled a certain naivety to those who would take advantage of one's kindness. I think the term, and practice, may have gotten us into more trouble than its worth, but, it beats screaming at one another.

GUILTY AS CHARGED YOUR HONOR. I was adamant about the use of nice. Come on Hiker. How do you ever help a third grader become more descriptive if you allow "Cute" and "nice" at every turn. I rest my case Your Honor.V

What an interesting discussion! There must have been a world-wide conspiracy to stamp out "nice." My teacher in England made a big deal of correcting us if we ever used it, and I just checked with my husband, from Wales, and he was taught the same. Even now, guilt makes me try to think up alternatives before I describe something as nice - do you do the same?

Five hundred years ago, it meant "foolish or stupid." By the 16th century, the sense of being "very particular" or "finicky" had developed. In the 19th century, nice came to mean "pleasant or agreeable" and then "respectable."

Nice depends so much on context and inflection. "Nice!" said enthusiastically and elongated can be high praise. Said forcefully (and similarly to the above) but with a bit of a sneer has become a staple of the sarcastic crowd. "This is nice" said simply can indicate a wonderful state of contentment. But I get your teacher's point; "nice" is often a non-committal term when you've got nothing nice to say about something. Not unlike "interesting." It can even be dismissive: "That's nice, dear." Still, this was nice.